Automatic oiler



E. D. SMYSER AUTOMATIC OILER Filed June 1. 1949 :iwwwww w wwwwww E5;

Feb. 19, 1952 Patented F eb. 19, 1952 UN l TE D S TAT E i ATEN T OFFICE AUTOMATIC OILE-R Elmer D. 'Smyser, Bakersfield, Calif.

Applicfationllune 1, 1949, Serial No. 96,589

1 Claim. (01. 184-403) 1 This invention .relates to automatic oilers and the primary object of the invention is to provide an automatic oiler adapted to be regulated so that it feeds approximately a selectively predetermined amount of oil per minute to .a hearing or the like connected with theoiler whereby w an over oiling or under oilingis prevented.

Another object of the invention isto provide an oiler of the character indicated above which is economical, trouble-free and positive in action.

A further object of the invention is to provide an oiler of the character indicated above preventing dirt, grit and the like from entering a bearing or the like together with the oil, even if impure oil is fed into the oiler. V

A still further object of the invention is to :provide an oiler of the character indicated above needing a minimum of attention.

An additional object of the invention is to ;provide an oiler of the character indicated abovepermitting permanent inspection of the oil levels in the several chambers of the oiler.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved automatic oiler, whereby certain advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through an oiler constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The automatic oiler as herein embodied comprises an oil container Iil having a, top wall II, a curcumferential wall I2 and a bottom wall I3. The latter is arranged at a level above the lower edge of the circumferential wall, so that this wall extends downwardly beyond the bottom wall I3 as at I4. A hole I3a is provided in the bottom wall adjacent to the circumferential wall I2 and a downwardly extending cylindrical spout I5 is formed on the bottom wall I3 and surrounds the hole I3a. A plurality of control holes IB are arranged in the spout I5 equidistantly from and in axial alignment to each other.

' A control sleeve 11 surrounds the cylindrical spout I5 and fits snugly on said spout. It is adapted to be rotated about the spout but is prevented from movement in the axial direction in relation thereto in any conventional manner as, .for example, 'by the use of a set screw Ila, Figure 3.

A slot I8 is provided in the sleeve Ill and extends .at an oblique angle with respect to the length of .said sleeve. The width of the slot I8 .20 and a bottom wall 2| and is open on top. A hole 22 is provided in the bottom wall 2I and an upwardly extending wall 23 is formed on said bottom wall and surrounds the hole 22. The space inside of the upwardly extending wall 23 is divided by a diametrical partition '24 into two wick chambers 25.

A .screw plug 26 is formed on the under side of the bottom Wall 2i and is arranged coaxially with the hole 22-. The screw plug 26 is provided with a centrally located axially extending bore 21, the upper portion of which flares out upwardly as at 23. The lower end portion of the partition 24 extends into the upper flared out bore portion 25 dividing the latter into two passages 29 connecting the bore 2'! with the hole 22 which extends downwardly into the screw plug 26. The lower end portion of the bore 21 is tapped and a small screw plug 30 is adapted to close the bore 21.

A plurality of radial holes 3| are provided in the upper portion of the screw plug 26 and each hole 3I has a tapped counter bore adapted to receive the end portion of an oil line 32. The holes 31 end into the hole 22 above the lower end of the partition 24.

A wick 33 is arranged so that it hangs over the upper edge of the upwardly extending wall 23. One end portion 34 of the wick extends into the wick chambers 25. The wick extends downwardly along the outside surface of the wall 23 and the other end portion 35 of the said wick is arranged to extend into the oil chamber I9. A wick protector 36 fits loosely over the upwardly extending wall 23 and the wick 33.

In use the oil chamber I9 is mounted in upright position on any convenient support. The control sleeve I! is adjusted on the cylindrical spout I 5 so that a selected control hole I6 is open. The oil container It is arranged up-side down and is filled through the spout I5 with oil. Then the container is mounted on the oil chamber I9 5 t t he bottom wall I3 of the former rests on the upper edge of the circumferential wall 20 of the latter, and the lower end portion M of the circumferential wall I! of the container I extends along the circumferential wall of the oil chamber l9. Oil flows freely into the oil chamber until the rising oil level 3! seals the outlet of the spout l5. Then air from the oil chamber 19 enters into the spout 15 through the open hole l5 and travel in the form of bubbles upwardly through the oil in the container l0 permitting the oil to flow slowly through the spout l5 into the oil chamber [9. When the level 31 of the oil in said chamber rises high enough to seal the open hole 16 so that air is prevented from entering through said hole, the flow of oil from the container IE! is automatically stopped. The wick 33 conducts oil from the oil chamber [9 into the wick chambers filling the bore 27, the upper portion 23 of the said bore and the passages 29 from where it flows into the 011 lines 32. The oil is conducted through the wick 33 by capillary attraction and drips from the wick end portion 34 into the wick chambers 25.

The oiler is made from a transparent suitable material so that the oil levels in the container i0 and the chamber l9 can be observed at all times. The oil level 31 in the oil chamber I9 can be lowered or raised by opening a control hole I6 located at a lower or higher level.

By using an oil of a certain gravity and a wick of a certain size and made from a certain material such as pure wool, the amount of oil conducted by the wick from the oil chamber 19 to the wick chambers 25 and the oil lines 32 can be predetermined, and if it should be necessary to increase the oil flow," the control sleeve I7 is adjusted to open thenext higher control hole l6, whereby the oil level 31 in the oil chamber I9 is raised.

The wick protector 36 prevents excessive wear of the wick and the latter serves as a filter preventing foreign matter present in impure oil from entering bearings or the like serviced by the oiler in accordance with the present invention.

I claim:

An automatic oiler, comprising a closed cylindrical oil container, a spout depending from and opening through the bottom wall of said container at one side of the center thereof, an annular flange depending below said bottom wall from the side Wall of said container, a cylindrical open top chamber having its open end telescoped into said annular flange, means carried by said flange for securing said chamber in place with the edge of its open top in contact with the bottom wall of said container, said spout being provided with a series ,of vertically aligned and equidistantly spaced apertures, a sleeve mounted to turn on said spout and having a spiral slot of a length slightly greater than the distance between the uppermost and lowermost of saidlapertures, to successively open and close the apertures when turned, a tubular member upstanding within the center of said chamber from about an opening in the bottom wall of the chamber, a wick extending generally vertically along the outer side of said member and having its upper end. depending within the member, and a cap fitted over said member and enclosing the intermediate portion of said wick between the cap and said member.

' ELMER D. SMYSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 179,558 7 High July 4, 1876 1,219,265 Denhard Mar. 13, 1917 1,253,146 Caskey Jan. 8, 1918 1,770,036 Johnson July 8, 1930 1,901,749 Johnson Mar. 14, 1933 

